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The results of the AP-GfK Poll are in and the American public has made it clear they're tired of the games being played in Washington. More than 1,200 adults were interviewed in this poll and it's widely believed to be a pretty good indicator of how America feels.

Perhaps the most telling number in the poll is the sharp increase in the number of Americans who feel the country is headed in the wrong direction. The last poll results had 58% of Americans in the wrong direction group. In the current poll, a whopping 78% of Americans now think the country is headed in the wrong direction.

53% of those surveyed felt that Barack Obama is not doing a good job of handling his presidency. 37% still approve of the job he's doing. Common complaints amongst those who disapprove were health care, foreign relations, unemployment, gun laws, the economy, immigration and managing the federal government. Energy was the only area in which more people approved of the way Obama is handling the issue than disapproved and that was only by 1% in a poll that has a 3% to 4% error margin.

Congress took a huge hit in the polls. 83% of the people surveyed didn't like the job Congress was doing. Both Democrats and Republicans are unhappy with Congress and feel they aren't being properly represented. The number of people unhappy with Republicans was slightly higher than the number unhappy with Democrats, but the majority of people were unhappy with both.

Nearly half of the people interviewed had an unfavorable impression of Obama. John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden weren't viewed in a favorable light either.

The shutdown isn't being viewed favorably. Nearly 70% of the people interviewed felt the shutdown is a major problem for the country. The majority of Americans feel Obama isn't doing enough to cooperate with Republicans and that Republicans aren't doing enough to cooperate with Obama. That said, more than 80% of Americans indicated they haven't yet been impacted by the shutdown. Republicans were blamed for the shutdown by 63% of those interviewed, while Barack Obama and the Democrats shouldered 49% of the blame.

The numbers indicate the people are fed up with the games being played by both Democrats and Republicans. If the current numbers are any indicator, expect a lot of changes in future elections, as angry Americans clean house and bring in new blood. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Here's a link to the actual poll results, for those who are interested:

In a speech given at a photo op Tuesday at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, President Obama had this to say about negotiating with Republicans:

"Pass a budget, end the government shutdown, pay our bills and prevent an economic shutdown. And as soon as that happens, I am eager and read to sit down and negotiate with Republicans on a whole range of issues."

So, in other words, Obama wants the Republicans to give up any leverage they have to force a compromise prior to sitting down with them and negotiating. Notice he didn't mention ObamaCare or the Affordable Care Act, which the Democrats have thus far refused to negotiate on.

Obama had the following to say about negotiating with Republicans during the shutdown:

"I cannot do that under the threat that if Republicans don't get a hundred percent of their way, they're going to either shut down the government or they are going to default on America's debt so that America for the first time in history does not pay its bills. That is not something I will do. We're not going to establish that pattern. We're not going to negotiate under the threat of further harm to our economy and middle class families. We're not going to negotiate under the threat of a prolonged shutdown until Republicans get a hundred percent of what they want."

There's only one problem. While the President claims it's the Republicans who are unwilling to negotiate, the Democrats in the Senate appear to be the ones unwilling to budge. Originally, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that funded the government while defunding ObamaCare, which would have left ObamaCare dead in the water had it passed the Democrat-controlled Senate. It didn't, and the battle ensued. House Republicans have since backed off on defunding ObamaCare and have instead asked that the individual mandate be postponed for a year and that Congress be required to use ObamaCare. Both items were summarily rejected by the Senate.

It isn't clear where things are headed from here. The government shutdown is well into its second week and the debt ceiling is looming. It doesn't look like there's an end in sight, as both sides have indicated they're in it for the long haul.

As the debt ceiling looms and the government shutdown ends its first week, it's becoming increasingly apparent we're all mice in a game of cat and mouse between Obama and the GOP. In the manner of a bully who doesn't get his way on the schoolyard, Obama is punching the American people in the face by making moves intended to make the shutdown as difficult as possible on the American public.

While the Republicans shoulder the blame for the shutdown itself, Obama and the Democrat-controlled Senate have made it clear they have no intention of negotiating when it comes to ObamaCare and are in it for the long haul. As more and more government services are shut down, it appears those in control of the government are going to do everything in their power to use the shutdown as a political weapon.

To start, all national parks, memorials and zoos were shut down. Open-air memorials that require little supervision to keep open were barricaded, leading Sarah Palin to dub them "Barrycades" and to call for civil disobedience around the memorials. In a move that backfired badly and angered both Republican and Democrats, Obama blocked members of the Honor Flight program from entering the WWII memorial in Washington, D.C. These veterans, many of whom fought the Nazis and may have stormed the beaches of Normandy, stormed the barricades and entered the memorial regardless.

The Republican National Committee announced they would pay for security at the memorial for 30 days. The Democratic National Committee dismissed this as a publicity stunt.

In another move that seems strangely vindictive, the Panda Cam at the National Zoo went dark shortly after the shutdown. This upset the thousands of viewers daily who log on and check out the oft-entertaining antics of the pandas at the zoo. It was soon revealed that the government isn't footing the bill for the Panda Cams. They're being paid for as part of a grant from the Ford Motor Company.

While closing national parks, zoos and the Panda Cam has raised the ire of many, the government's next move was downright cruel. Property owners living in privately-owned homes built on federal land on Lake Mead are being forced out of their homes during the shutdown. The people own their cabins, but apparently the government feels it's OK to make them leave their homes until the government reopens. These homes are considered vacation homes and the people who live there must have an alternative residence as part of the requirement of owning a cabin in the area, but it's still a huge inconvenience for those who call Lake Mead home. It's also unnecessary, as during previous government shutdowns, the residents have been allowed to stay.

In a move that could backfire and cause real problems for the Democrats, the Amber Alert sites were shut down. Attempt to visit the site and all you get is a message stating the site has been shut down due to lack of government funding. As of press time, both the ObamaCare site and Michelle Obama's LetsMove.gov are still up and running.

It's hard to believe an American President would be so vindictive as to put kidnapped children at risk, but that appears to the be case.

Here's to hoping the shutdown ends soon. I don't know what I'll do if LetsMove.gov gets shuttered.

Presumptuous CNN anchor Carol Costello gets her stuff handed to her by GOP congressman Todd Rokita when she attempts to use the tired liberal talking point of the shutdown costing taxpayers millions of dollars.

What do you get when you put John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid, Joe Biden and President Obama together in a room for 90 minutes? Other than what sounds like the start of a funny political joke, not much.

The President and the leaders of the Congress met behind closed doors Wednesday, but it doesn't sound like much was decided, other than neither side is willing to budge. The President told the Republican leaders he wouldn't negotiate and the standoff continues.

After the meeting, both sides continued to point fingers and blame the other side.

Sen. Harry Reid, the majority Senate leader, had this to say after the meeting:

"This has never happened before, for a political party to be willing to take the country to the brink of financial disaster."

Not to be outdone by his adversary, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell released a written statement stating, "The meeting was cordial but unproductive.

The Senate and the House are at odds because the House passed a spending bill with a provision that defunded ObamaCare. The Senate wants that provision stripped away. The House is drawing a hard line and the Senate and President Obama are refusing to compromise. The whole ordeal could get even messier if it lasts until the middle of the month, because we're set to hit the debt ceiling. Some House Republicans have indicated they're willing to bring the debt ceiling into the battle as well.

Garb your popcorn and pull up a chair, folks. This could get interesting.